Ashmore and Cartier Islands
Flag of Australia, used for the Ashmore and Cartier Islands | |
Location of the Ashmore and Cartier Islands | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | Indian Ocean |
| Coordinates | 12°15′30″S 123°02′30″E / 12.25833°S 123.04167°E |
| Major islands | 4 |
| Administration | |
Australia | |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 0 (July 2021) |
The Territory of Ashmore and Cartier Islands is an uninhabited Australian external territory consisting of four low-lying tropical islands in two separate reefs (Ashmore and Cartier), as well as the 12-nautical-mile (22 km; 14 mi) territorial sea generated by the islands. The territory is located in the Indian Ocean situated on the edge of the continental shelf, about 320 km (199 mi) off the northwest coast of Australia and 144 km (89 mi) south of the Indonesian island of Rote.
Ashmore Reef is called Pulau Pasir by Indonesians and Nusa Solokaek in the Rotenese language. Both names have the meaning "sand island".